Thursday, October 1, 2015

Sensory Description in Analysis of Sex Assault Cases

"His hands smelled like motor oil.""There was the smell of tobacco on his breath."

"He was very hairy and rough, rough hands."

Studies in Lie Detection have shown that when someone uses "sensory" description in language, it is a signal of memory. Some will, therefore, use it as an indication that one is telling the truth about a report of a sexual assault.

Not so fast.

Although sensory perception is linked to memory it fails to answer the question:

Is the memory experiential memory?

Is it memory that one experienced, or is it a memory from a movie, or a book, or memory from what someone told the subject?

In other words, it may have come from memory, but did it come from the victim's own life experience?

If this question is answered, whether or not it is experiential memory, what about the next?

"If this did happen to the victim, did it happen now, or is she referring to something 20 years ago?
Sensory description, alone, will not answer this question.

Perseveration in Lie Detection

Perseveration is commonly seen in the language of adults with autism, or adults with various forms of developmental delays, including adult mental retardation.

However, it is not exclusive to adults with various intellectual issues, it is also, at times, the very "trigger" of post trauma stress from a childhood assault.

Compounding this is if the adult victim of sexual abuse was assaulted prior to speech development leaving the victim utterly unable to describe what happened.

Lie Detection, in advanced study, can and will successfully show:

Did this really happen?
Did this happen now?

Why is this important?
And...

to whom is this important?

1. Criminal investigators--if it happened, was it an assault or was it consensual?
2. Corporate or Human Resources investigators: Do we have a law suit on our hands?
3. Psychologists, Counselors, child abuse investigators, mental health professionals. What was the victim's self-protective capacities, and how may we help her defend herself?

When advanced analysis is done, we will learn:

Did this happen?
If so, did it happen now, or years ago?
Was it consensual, or was it a crime?

This advanced analysis is not "101 analysis" nor does it come easily, nor quickly, but takes patient, consistent, and applied work within training.

The results are truth; truth that is best confirmed in the confession; obtained because the training led the Interviewer's questions, understood the psychology of the subject, and knew which strategy was reflected in the analysis, itself.

The language of adult victims of childhood sexual abuse has a code all its own. Without detailed and specific training, it is very likely that actual victims will be viewed as deceptive, and predators will go free to seek their next prey.

The same lack of training, even with those with much experience, will falsely accuse, as well as miss the indicators of perseveration, or may confuse patterns that victims often reveal.

Our methods get admissions and confessions, which only reveal how powerfully accurate Lie Detection is when principle is adhered to.

As those in study know, I stand upon this. I stand upon the failed polygraph, yes, but even more so: the confession will show that the language had already revealed the truth.

No sensory descriptions in Short Little Rebel"s rape allegations. I can't even find anything which amounts to a credible sounding allegation. The account lacks a physical description of her alleged rapist, of how events that evening evolved, and what she does say is vague and concerns her swift exit from the military. This is the closest she approaches to describing anything physical:

'And you will be left shocked. Especially because you only find out that you had been raped by certain ‘evidence’ that remains when you wake up.'

The 'you' distancing language makes it sound as if she could be talking about anyone, not necessarily herself. If she was unconscious, she could not be expected to have sensory recall, but it's strange that there is no first person and no past tense, either. When she came round, there surely would have been some physical reaction to the 'evidence' - yet there's nothing sensory in her description, there's not even anything personal, not about her, or him - there's no real story to her story, and that's unexpected.

I wonder if the lack of any sensory description could be due to embarrassment and reluctance to go into any 'real' detail. I thought that might be the case, but it seems unlikely she would be seeking such publicity if she was embarrassed or reluctant to talk about what she said had happened to her. Shock would be fitting, but so would revulsion, and I can't find any expression of that in the two posts in which she made the allegation; she surely would have said more than just 'evidence' if she believed she had been raped, whatever their relationship.

I think, from other things she has written (namely her account of 'his story'), that she was drunk, had sex, and went to sleep, rather than that she was raped while unconscious - well, she does say 'when you wake up', which follows falling to sleep. 'When you come round' would follow losing consciousness, but that may be to split hairs. I think she drank too much, and that sex and sleep, followed by the shock of discovering he had a girlfriend was the final straw.

At first it seemed she was somewhat taken advantage of, as he had a girlfriend - but as it turns out, she also had a civilian boyfriend. He may have acted dishonourably, but I think she has made him her scapegoat.

It seems she is now desperate for other people's rape stories due to the paucity of her own - as if she thinks she can hide hers away amongst 'real' people's stories, if only she can get enough - it's as if she believes she can will her story to become true.

I am thinking she doesn't want to get locked into a story, as after 30 years she won't be able to remember all the details of that night and morning if it is all a lie, and have someone come forward with the true story.

This is awful. I cant help but wonder what his accuser (whom withdrawn her allegations) Said to LE in her statement. Did the pronoun "We" show up anywhere within her statement. More importantly, after the alleged (now withdrawn) assault, showing unity. Or, was the accusation made from a distance point of view, ie, she wasn't with him at all.

Teenager falsely accused of rape commits suicide

Jay Cheshire was described as "mature and well-liked" by his peers

A teenager took his own life after he was falsely accused of rape, an inquest heard.Jay Cheshire, 17, who was "mature and well-liked", was at the centre of a police investigation which ended in June this year when the alleged victim dropped the charge.But he tried to commit suicide a few weeks later and after being taken to Southampton General Hospital, died on 5 July.

An inquest at Winchester Coroners Court, Hants, heard Jay struggled to cope with the false accusations and was "absolutely distraught."Jay, from Southampton, was a sixth form student at Bitterne Park School studying English Literature, Film Studies and Geography - and hoped to become a history teacher or a writer.

The court also heard he had a history of struggling with low moods, was put on anti-depressants and was due to undergo cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

He had a psychiatrist since the age of 13 but in March this year his state of mind improved, leading to doctors agreeing that CBT was not urgently needed any more.However in May, Jay's family contacted them once more saying he was under pressure because of the police investigation.

Central Hampshire senior coroner Grahame Short recorded a verdict of suicide and said: "I got the impression he was well liked and mature in some ways, but was a sensitive young man and vulnerable in some respects and he found it difficult to cope with the police investigation."

Jay's mum, Karin Cheshire, 54, said that the allegation was a factor in his death and that the alleged victim said he was a sex offender.Speaking about the alleged victim, she said: "She accused him of rape and said he was a sexual offender.

"He was absolutely distraught. Two weeks later she said she withdrew the allegations."He was a wonderful young man with a great love of history."In a statement from Olivia Murphy, head of sixth form at Bitterne Park School, she described Jay, who was a student ambassador, as a hard-working teenager who "embraced" sixth form.

Freddie Starr has lost his High Court claim against Karin Ward, who said he groped her when she was 15.Ms Ward, 56, alleges that the assault took place in 1974 behind the scenes of Jimmy Savile's Clunk Click TV show.

Judge Mr Justice Nicol said the case failed because Ms Ward's testimony was found to be true, and because too much time had lapsed.The entertainer, who was not in court for the ruling, is now reportedly facing a £1m costs bill and says he has lost £300,000 from shows being cancelled over the allegations.

He sued over interviews given to the BBC and ITV in October 2012, statements on a website and those made in an eBook about Ms Ward's life.

'Wrecked marriages'

Mother-of-seven Ms Ward - who was a pupil at Duncroft Approved School, in Staines, Surrey, in 1974 - told the court Mr Starr had also made a lewd comment about her chest."I carried that phrase with me all my life and it certainly helped to wreck three marriages," she said.

Ms Ward, from Oswestry, Shropshire, also said she was sexually abused by Savile more than once in return for being in the Clunk Click audience at BBC Television Centre, London.

She said while she had been given lithium at her school, which affected her memory, she "very vividly" remembered that Mr Starr smelled of alcohol and cologne, which reminded her of her abusive stepfather.

"It was known back then as a 'goose', when a man would put his hand under a girl's buttocks and give it a squeeze and usually say 'goose' and, at the same time, reach for her breasts and say 'honk, honk'," she told the court.

"He got as far as the 'goose' and I recoiled because, while I expected that kind of behaviour from all men and was used to it, I was distressed because the smell reminded me of my stepfather."

Mr Starr said he did not at first remember appearing on Clunk Click in March 1974, until footage showed him in the studio with teenage Ms Ward behind him.

During the hearing, Mr Starr had rejected the allegation that he had groped the teenager in Savile's dressing-room and denied having "wandering hands".In evidence Mr Starr also said he did not drink, and never had done.Dismissing the claim, Mr Nicol, who held the case without a jury, said: "She [Ward] has proved that it was true that he groped her - an under-age schoolgirl."He added that Starr had "humiliated" her and said that in truth, the entertainer had no recollection of what happened that evening.

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Ward, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she was "relieved" at the outcome.

"For anyone who hasn't yet dared to come forward, I say - do not take this case as a reason not to do so," she said. "Stand tall, it wasn't your fault, and you have a right to be heard without fear or threat of not being believed."

Ms Ward's solicitor, Helen Morris, said after the ruling that Ms Ward had been abandoned by the two broadcasters who interviewed her and had been treated "disgracefully".She also said journalists from the Newsnight and Exposure television programmes had given evidence, in which they said Ms Ward had performed a public service by being the first victim of Savile to speak out, which resulted in 500 further victims coming forward.

A BBC spokesman said Mr Starr sued Ms Ward over ITV reports and other online material that had been made before the BBC Panorama broadcast in October 2012. He added that the BBC had offered to help Ms Ward with her legal costs and was willing to discuss a "fair contribution" to them.

ITV has declined to comment on the case.A Crown Prosecution Service investigation into claims brought by Ms Ward and 13 others decided that no charges would be brought.

Freddie Starr just didn't know when to stop, did he? He believed that 'insufficient evidence' equated to being cleared rather than that anyone actually believed he was innocent. He didn't have good legal advice in pursuing his 'case'. Maybe just the 'right' kind.:) I bet he did eat that hamster, as well. :-D

Another sports star accused of sexual assault: Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose said Thursday that a lawsuit filed recently in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing him of sexual misconduct is based on untrue allegations.(A former girlfriend)She is accusing Rose and two friends of slipping a drug into her drink and later committing sexual acts against her will. The incident, she alleges, occurred in August 2013.

Statement by Rose: "I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose said in a statement. "I am not going to comment other than to say: I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."

Statement by Rose: "I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose said in a statement. "I am not going to comment other than to say: I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."